Rally the Troops
by Morning Glory Conlon
Summary: What if something you knew something that if you didn't tell would kill many? What if you did tell it would kill yourself? The toughest gang in New York The Rippers has to find and get rid of one girl before their territory attack is spoiled by her.
1. Echoing footsteps

            The night was a dark, not a single star in the sky. This was due to the rain earlier in the day. The moon faded in and out from behind the deep midnight purple clouds only giving off five second periods of light. The sound of angry feet pounded the wet coble stone streets following the sound of desperate feet seeking help. They bounced off the sleeping buildings seeming louder then they really were.  The streets were dimly lit by the flickering light of the candle in the street lamps, casting eerie shadows upon the walls near by. It was hard to tell what lurked around each corner of the New York allies. A friend or foe could be any where ready to spring in a moment either to help- or just to kill.

            A small girl ran down the street. Her heart pounded in her chest and her lung ached for air. She had been running from these guys for the last hour. Her legs were beginning to grow weak and it would be a matter of moments before they caught her. The girl brushed some of the jet black wild curls that had fallen into her face back quickly out of her pale blue eyes.  Mentally the girl kept telling herself to keep going she would find safety any minute now, but her body was telling her differently. She couldn't let these guys catch her. If they did it was all over for her. They wouldn't waste a moment in getting rid of her for- good this time. The guys' first attempt at killing her had failed miserably. They had tried to come into the apartment that she had broken into and was staying at with out any one knowing while she was asleep and murder her during the night, but some one had tipped her off and she hadn't been there.

            The sound of the angry feet grew closer as the four ran down the street. The girl glanced quickly behind her losing a little ground and saw that they weren't too far behind her. In fact they were less then four feet behind her. She looked back towards where she was running and saw that there was a place down at the end of the street. The lights were still on inside and almost twinkled with the hope of safety. The girl pushed herself to run faster she was almost there, but it seemed though that she wasn't going to be able to make it. For some reason the building ahead called to her saying that if she could just make it inside nothing could harm her.

            The three guys behind her continued to chase her down the street. None of them showed any sign of tiredness or giving in. It was like they had done this for a living. With them they carried each a switchblade. One carried a gun, but he was instructed no to use it on this girl unless it was necessary. Their leader had commanded them to bring her back to him unless there was a great struggle. Their group didn't need any more trouble then it already had. The group that the three guys belonged to was called The Rippers. They were one of the nastiest gangs in all of the five boroughs. They had been around for about six years now and gone through three leaders. Each of the guys wore dark green bandannas some where on them and there mark was a serpent tattoo either on their arm or back.  The Rippers had been formed by one particular angry young boy. He had come over from Ireland with his family: Father, Mother, and Sister. They lived together for a while in a small apartment everything had seemed to go fine until the boy's father started to drink and became abusive. 

On Christmas Eve his father had come home in a drunken rage. He had some how acquired a gun. No one knew where he had gotten it from or how he had gotten it either. All they knew was that he came into the apartment- and the gun was fired twice. One of the bullets hit his mother killing her instantly. The second bullet was fired killing his father; the gun hadn't been shot off by the father, but by the son. The boy could feel the anger that had grown inside of him finally reach to the boiling point. That night he left the house and over the next several weeks he had found kids in a similar situation where they came from abusive homes or they had no parents. The little boy took on the alias of Chaos. Chaos found a new friend who had connection, Rage named for his bad temper. Rage could get the guns, the alcohol, and the weapons that were needed and became second in charge. Together the two of them together ran The Rippers building up there status and reputation. The small group of boys took refuge in a warehouse in the Bronx and slowly began to grow reaching twenty members. The Rippers ranged from as young as six all the way to nineteen years of age. They started small taking over selling areas of the Newsies and then working there way to larger territories like The Bronx where they now have set up permanent residency. Chaos had dragged his sister along for the ride and soon Rage became infatuated with her and claimed her as his. At first The Rippers had nothing against the Newsies until Chaos' sister decided that she didn't want to have anything to do with The Rippers and became a Newsie; ever since that day The Rippers have hated the Newsies even though it was six years ago when the grudge started. From then on the girls who were brought back to The Rippers were there for pleasure not to join, until one day that changed.

The guys seemed to gain on the small girl who was in front of them. She was just out of their grasp.  This girl knew too much and was sure to let the right people know which would bring down The Rippers' plans of taking over Manhattan and Brooklyn next from those street rats who called themselves Newsies. 

The Newsboys Lodging House was only a few more yards away from her and the three guys were less then inches away. If only she could push herself the extra few inches she would be safe. The girl tripped up the five concrete stairs scrapping her knee. Just as she reached the door the small girl felt a hand grab her arm and yank her to her feet.


	2. Is it Safe

            Who ever had grabbed her arm pulled her forward into the building. The door had been slammed shut quickly behind her and then the familiar sound of a locking clicking came. The room was dimly lit seeing as it was around three in the morning and no one was awake. If they weren't awake, they would be now with the loud slam of the door and the pounding that followed. The girl felt her legs finally give in and she collapsed to her knees on the hard wooden floor. She leaned forward placing her hands on her legs tying to catch her breath.  The girl looked up at the guy that was standing there in front of her. She couldn't make out who it was in the dark light, "Are you okay?" The thick New York accent filled the room, flowing over the loud banging on the door.

             All the girl could do was nod until she caught her breath. She winced a little feeling her knee begin to sting and the warm blood tickling down her it. The guy disappeared for a few moments returning with a candle. He knelt down next to her. The light from his candle illuminated both of their features. Playful shadows danced across the boys face. His pale blue eyes sparkled and reflected the flame of the candle. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, but it only fell back into his eyes. A few minutes later another boy and a girl walked into the room, "Hey Spot you coming?" The voice called, but trailed off seeing the two sitting there, "Who's your friend?" Jack asked.  
  
            "I don't know." Spot said looking back at Jack and the girl he had brought back with him, "I was just about to find out." Spot looked back at the girl kneeling on the floor still, "You gotta name or am I going to have to give you one?" He asked with a small smirk.

            The girl didn't reply right away. She couldn't tell him her real name maybe he would know who she was and turn her back into The Rippers, "It's….Rally." She said the Newsies always reminded her of the strike and the rally they had held. She had seen the whole thing and admired them for being able to stand up to the giants. Rally had never been able to do that herself, that's why she was stuck in The Rippers.

            "Well Rally it's nice ta meetcha." Spot said standing up. He offered a hand down to help her up, "So you wanna tell me who those guys out there are and why they's chasin' you?" Spot looked at Rally closer and smirked a little. She was just his type. Well anything female with a pulse was Spot's type.

            "I just stole from them." Rally lied. A cold sweep of air came in through the cracks of the door causing her to shudder a bit.  She couldn't tell them that she was part of the Rippers. That would get her kicked back out onto the streets, "I needed money to pay for some where to stay for the night." Rally continued her lie deeper and deeper. She could feel the nerves inside working and hoped they wouldn't ruin her cover.

            "She can stay heah Spot." Jack called putting his arm around the girl standing next to him. The girl placed her head on his shoulder and the two turned to go up stairs.

            Spot nodded, "Let's go get you a bunk and clean up that wound." He motioned towards her knee. Spot only half bought her story. He knew guys to get upset over people stealing money from them, but these three guys were still out side of the door shouting death threats. That was a bit too far to go over just a few coins.

            Rally steadied herself on her feet still feeling a bit fatigued from running. She needed to rest and maybe get some sleep. Rally looked ahead at the stairs that which were faintly illuminated by the glow of the candle Spot held. She slowly limped towards the stairs feeling a few more trickles of blood down her leg. Spot waited for her and slowly began to ascend the stairs to the bunkroom.

            Rally stepped down on the first stair with a great shot of pain, "Need some help?" Spot asked her quietly trying not to wake any one else who still might be asleep. Rally shook her head determined to walk up the stairs by herself even if it killed her. Spot stayed by her side incase she did need the help. The stairs creaked under there weight and to Rally the stairs seemed never ending. They reached the bunkroom and Spot motioned for her to be quiet. The lodging house was now eerily silent, not a sound could be heard, but the shuffling of their feet. Spot pointed to a lower bunk for her to stay in and walked off to the washroom. Rally looked around the dark bunkroom as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. She couldn't make much out, but what she could see were rows of bunks where sleeping boys and girls lay. Rally felt a twinge of guilt in her she needed to tell them what she new and needed to do it soon. 

            Spot returned and no words were exchanged. He helped her clean up her knee for her even though Rally attempted to do it herself. Rally watched him for a few seconds and had made up her mind tomorrow morning she would go to Spot and tell him the plans that The Rippers had come up with. Spot stood up a few minutes later, "We'll get you some new clothes in the morning." Rally nodded and Spot walked back to 'his bunk' in Manhattan. Rally elevated her leg and leaned back into the soft pillows. She could feel sleep slowly taking over her. Rally closed her eyes and sunk into a light sleep.

            The three guys who had been outside pounding on the door stopped. They weren't giving up so easily. They knew where Rally was and would be able to stop her from spreading any of their information and if she did they would just have to take any one who knew down as well. They slowly started back towards the warehouse devising a fool proof plan to get rid of Rally and take over the territories.


End file.
